USPS sets 30% Move Update error threshold

With a May 11 deadline loom­ing to improve their bulk mailing lists or face fines, mailers now can receive reports on how well their mail is performing through the US Postal Service.

Beginning May 11, 2009, a mail­ing with a 30% or more error rate for Move Update requirements will no longer qualify for automa­tion discounts.

“The Postal Service has had three months in which to glean data to be used to establish a fair and realistic tolerance threshold for non-compliance with the new requirements,” the USPS said in a statement sent to DMNews when clarifying the 30% rate.

For a Standard Mail mailing, this means that every piece in the mail­ing will be charged an additional 7 cents. For a First-Class Mail mail­ing, this means that every piece in the mailing will be charged at the single-piece rate of 44 cents.

The new requirements, which became effective November 23, require businesses to update their bulk-mailing lists every 95 days. Previously, only First-Class Mail was subject to Move Update stan­dards, and those lists had to be updated every 185 days.

USPS said it is also providing customers with feedback on their mailings via the reports.